UN Climate Talks to Ratchet Up, Major Questions Remain on Shortfall in Emissions Reductions, Fossil Fuel Phaseout, Adaptation and Finance

BELÉM, Brazil (November 16, 2025)-Week one of the annual U.N. climate talks wrapped up with productive negotiations, but many essential questions are still unanswered. A clarifying note from COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago is expected today which is anticipated to provide more information on how they intend to resolve outstanding issues in week two. As ministers arrive for the final week of negotiations, answers on how to address the huge shortfall in countries' emissions reductions commitments, a phaseout of fossil fuels as part of a just transition to a clean energy economy, adaptation, and climate finance are important barometers of progress toward a successful outcome at COP30.

There were some promising bright spots through the week, including growing support for a transition away from fossil fuels, progress on bolstering information integrity to counter climate disinformation and improving synergies between the Rio Conventions to enhance cooperation across international organizations.

Experts at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) are on the ground in Belém tracking the negotiations and other central issues of importance at COP30.

Below is a statement by Dr. Rachel Cleetus, senior policy director for the Climate and Energy Program at UCS.

"The first week of COP30 was marked by generally constructive negotiations, but pressure is building as major breakthroughs on critical topics have yet to materialize. Nations repeatedly lamented the vast gulf in ambition between current emission reduction commitments and what's needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, but a process for how to address that shortfall in an equitable way is still to be decided. Brazil has proposed a roadmap for a transition away from fossil fuels, which is gathering a growing groundswell of support from many countries who recognize the tremendous benefits of renewable energy. Getting the details right will be important to ensure a fair, funded transition and to fend off attacks from fossil fuel interests.

"Securing a strong outcome on climate adaptation is a top issue for climate vulnerable low-income nations and the call has only grown increasingly urgent as climate impacts rapidly worsen around the world. Crucially, a lack of adequate climate finance from richer nations most responsible for the climate crisis remains a festering source of frustration and distrust for lower-income countries.

"It's up to political leaders to step up to bridge divides between countries in the second week of COP30 and secure a strong outcome that delivers for communities around the world. The stakes are abundantly clear as the world teeters on the brink of breaching 1.5 C of warming and climate change-charged extreme disasters like typhoons and hurricanes take a steep toll on people's lives and nations' economies."

Dr. Cleetus also has a new blog post: As Week One Winds Down at COP30 in Brazil, What's at Stake and What's Ahead

Below is a statement by Kate Cell, senior climate campaign manager at UCS and Climate Action Against Disinformation steering committee member and policy working group co-chair.

"This is the first COP where accurate, consistent and reliable information about climate change is on the action agenda. The COP that launched a Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, signaling unprecedented international collaboration to address pernicious disinformation. The 'COP of Truth.' After decades of deceit, denial and delay, the fossil fuel industry and their allies are on notice. And while 12 governments have committed to working together for common-sense, human-rights based solutions, many more must take the opportunity to work together for information integrity.

"This initiative requires holding legacy media, social media and search engines to basic, human-rights based standards of transparency, accountability and safety. Governments, the private sector and funders all have important roles to play. In particular, Big Tech is currently amplifying and monetizing disinformation on a range of topics including climate change, and must instead commit to truth over short-term profits."

UCS will be monitoring nations as they decide whether to support the Declaration in week two.

Below is a statement by Dr. Astrid Caldas, senior climate scientist for community resilience at UCS.

"The interconnectedness of biodiversity and climate change has been brought to the forefront here in Belém. Taking place in the heart of a biodiversity-rich area, the role of forests and Indigenous and local communities in slowing climate change has been a focal point both in negotiations and civil society fora. Indigenous peoples in particular play an integral role in conservation and stewardship of the land and have been a constant presence at this COP, asserting their rights to land and a seat at the negotiations table. This role can be further prioritized through better synergy between the Rio Conventions, a recommendation supported by many countries and non-governmental organizations. Continued discussions aiming to enhance cooperation among the Rio Conventions and other international groups and frameworks are a welcome signal to better addressing climate change, biodiversity and desertification together. Just as these problems are intertwined, so too must be the unified global response to effectively solve them."

Events UCS experts are speaking at in COP30 this week:

And Still We Rise: Confronting a New Era of Climate Attacks with Global Solidarity

Date: November 17, 2025

Time: 11:00 am-1:00 pm BRT -3 UTC

Location: COP30 Venue Blue Zone, Side Event Room 1, Area C

Speakers:

• Sheelah Bearfoot, SustainUs
• Rachel Cleetus, UCS
• Alex Easdale, Southeast Climate and Energy Network
• Jean Su, Center for Biological Diversity
• Feleecia Guillen, Institute for Policy Studies
• Moderator: Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos, Minnisota Interfaith Power and Light; Youth N' Power; ShiftUS

From the Gulf South to the Global South: How We Are Providing Solutions and Leadership in this Time, Press Conference

Date: November 17, 2025

Time: 1:00-1:30 pm BRT -3 UTC

Location: COP30 Venue Blue Zone, Press Conference Room 2, Area D

Speakers:

• Alex Easdale, Southeast Climate and Energy Network (US)
• Rev. Leo Woodberry, New Alpha CDC (US)
• Wanka Inti, A Wisdom Keepers Delegation (Peru)
• Jose Belisario, Belisario (Brazil)
• Rachel Cleetus, UCS (US)

Livestream: https://unfccc.int/event/southeast-climate-and-energy-network-scen

US Civil Society Assessment of Justice at COP30

Date: November 17, 2025

Time: 1:30-2:00 pm BRT -3 UTC

Location: COP30 Venue Blue Zone, Press Conference Room 2, Area D

Speakers:

• Rachel Cleetus, UCS
• Gemma Gutierrez, Climate Generation; GoodPower
• Cheryl Kwapong, Global Afrodescendants Climate Justice Collaborative
• Brandon Wu, ActionAid
• Moderator: Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos, Minnisota Interfaith Power and Light; Youth N' Power; ShiftUS

Livestream: https://unfccc.int/event/us-climate-action-network-5

We Don't Have Time Science and Democracy Panel

Date: November 20

Time: 11:30-12:30 pm BRT -3 UTC

Location: Online

Speakers:

• Dr. Astrid Caldas, UCS
• Christopher Gloninger, Woods Hole

Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/@WeDontHaveTime/streams

UCS experts can discuss the ambition gap in current national emissions (NDCs) and opportunities to address it at COP30 and beyond; relevant recent scientific reports; the urgency of addressing the adaptation gap in these negotiations given the risks and costs of climate change impacts; a just transition to a clean energy economy, including a fossil fuel phaseout; climate finance; Loss and Damage; biodiversity and forest protection; implications of the absence of an official United States delegation at the talks; undue fossil fuel influence; climate accountability litigation and the role of international courts; and information integrity.

Additional UCS Resources:

• Media advisory listing UCS' COP30 experts available for interviews
• All blog posts related to COP30
• COP30 opening statement
• Statement on the International Energy Agency's 2025 World Energy Outlook
• Statement on the U.N. Emissions Gap Report, confirming overshoot of 1.5 degrees Celsius
• Statement on President Trump's second withdrawal from the Paris Agreement